Shane Warne heart tests bowl up 'bittersweet' results

Shane Warne was a master at putting rival batsmen under the pump and Australians' hearts are facing similar strain.

The late king-of-spin died, aged 52, in March 2022 after suffering a heart attack while on holiday on the Thai island of Koh Samui.

The cause of his sudden death lead to Shane Warne Legacy setting up medical grade heart health check-up machines at the MCG during the past two Boxing Day Tests.

The results of the debut stadium initiative, in concert with 311 community pharmacy stations, were analysed as part of a Monash University-led study.

A total of 76,085 people were screened across seven weeks from mid-December 2023 to the end of January 2024, including 7740 at the MCG.

The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Friday, showed almost seven out of 10 (68.9 per cent) had at least one uncontrolled risk factor for heart disease.

Factors were elevated blood pressure readings (37.2 per cent), elevated body mass index (60.5 per cent) and being a smoker (12.1 per cent).

Cricket spectators who did the free checks, mostly men aged 35 to 64, had higher rates of elevated blood pressure and body mass index than those screened at pharmacies.

Of those with high blood pressure, more than seven out of 10 were not taking anti-hypertensive medications and just a tick under half hadn't had a check in the past year.

Participants at rural pharmacies were more likely to report diabetes and have higher rates of all risk factors compared to those screened in urban areas.

The study showed large-scale community screening was effective and powerful, its lead author Sean Tan said.

"Meeting people where they are, whether that's at their local pharmacy or the MCG, can make all the difference to health outcomes," said Dr Tan, a cardiologist and researcher at the Victorian Heart Institute.

Warne's long-time personal assistant Helen Nolan said the findings reinforced Shane Warne Legacy's mission to turn his untimely death into a catalyst for change.

The charity's chief executive described the results as "bittersweet".

"We're proud to have helped thousands take their heart health seriously but we know there's still work to do," Ms Nolan said.

"Shane would have wanted this to make a difference."

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death and impacts one in six Australians.

Many of the risk factors are preventable or manageable through lifestyle changes and medication.

The results should prompt national conversations about how and where Australia delivers preventative health care, Victorian Heart Hospital and Victorian Heart Institute director Stephen Nicholls said.

"Shane Warne's legacy isn't just about cricket, it's now about changing the heart health of a nation," Professor Nicholls said.

"We owe it to Australians to make health checks more accessible, more visible, and more frequent."